Christmas Lights of the South SUPER DEAL!!!

If you live in the CSRA you surely have heard the radio commercials for Lights of the South! It's a really great light show put on every year, complete with a hay ride, hot cocoa, roasted marshmallows and of course Santa!

The Augusta Chronicle put out a daily deal today on the purchase of tickets for Lights of the South. Four tickets for $12.00! This is really an amazing deal, adult tickets normally cost $8.50 and children (3-17) $4.50.

This is a limited time offer, right now as I type this is shows 2 days and 16 minutes remain, so that means midnight on Sunday the deal is over. Get yours now, sign up HERE then click HERE for this deal! As a bonus you also get popcorn with this deal.

Crafty Mama tips! When you plan your trip make sure to bring gloves, hats, warm jackets and a heavy blanket (or 2) for the hay ride. You may want a blanket to sit on and one to wrap up in. Even though it does not drive fast the wind can pick up and chill right through your bones as it is about a 30 minute ride. Bring insulated mugs to pour hot cocoa into to keep your hands from burning. Check the weather in advance and be prepared! If your bringing kids stop at the dollar store first and find some light up items like glow sticks, they sell them on location (plus other neat light up toys) but they can be expensive and we're trying to save money right! While your at it grab a bag of marshmallows, the sticks are available at the location, I think one person will have to buy a bag to get the sticks but you can share, or add the marshmallows to your hot chocolate!

Dollar Store decorating!!!

Thrifty, thrifty, thrifty that's me! I started my holiday decorating this week, my first project was a wreath, all from Dollar Tree items. Today I made a cute hurricane lamp decoration, again all dollar tree items!

The lamp is something I have had for awhile, I think it is actually used for flowers, but when unpacking the Christmas ornaments I had an idea! It took me a couple tries to get it to look just right. I tried first with red and silver ornaments but it looked too empty, there were a lot of spaces that the ornaments wouldn't fit into. then I tried beads, like mardi gras beads but it looked too busy, finally I saw some garland, cut up into small pieces it worked just right!

What you will need for this project:
Hurrican lamp/ wide mouthed vase
Small ornaments
Tinsel Garland
Candy canes (real or plastic)
Santa Hat






This went onto my "mantle" (another craft project). I had left over ornaments and holly leaves from the wreath so I made holly berries for the cabinet door handles. The doors have square window fronts and I use the cabinets for candle and picture frame storage so I wanted to hide the contents. I used some very pretty "tissue paper" also purchased at the dollar tree, it gave the window a frosted effect with a red holly design, I liked it but I really wanted it to be less see through so I added plain white printing paper behind the tissue. I put 3 red ornaments on a twist tie and added the holly leaves, and voila!

The last project was small and simple, glass beads around the votive candle holder with a tea light inside. Super simple, very pretty. I'll be adding more to this area soon.

 

My first Christmas deco of the season

I love wreaths! Nothing says welcome to my home like a Christmas wreath hung on the front door, or on all the windows as was done on my grandmothers old house. I've never had one though, always wanted to make one! The budget is very tight right now, this economy is not the best, but I don't have to tell you that right? I mean that's why you are here. I took my low budget self on a shopping spree at the local Dollar Tree. Being that it is the "beginning of the season" they were not totally picked over yet.




I scored a 12" wreath on wire, it was skimpy to I got a 20 ft garland to work into it. I saw some nice red scroll designed wire line ribbons, so added that to the basket. Some very pretty glittery berries, but I didn't like the leaves on them. In the same display were some velvety holly leaves with not so nice berries, so I picked up both, the pretty berries and the pretty leaves. For a little extra flair I saw some pretty glittery reindeer with small bells and then for the center piece a start shaped door knob hanger with gold bells. So Red and Gold were the two main colors.

At home I rolled out the garland and began cutting 8" pieces. I wrapped these around the pre-made wreath to fatten it up a bit. I then unwound one of the ribbons and worked it in and out of the pine needles securing it in place by wrapping in through the hoop. Next were the berries, as I said I loved the glittery berries but the leaves had to go. So I took apart both picks and paired the pretty berries with the velvety leaves. Since they were on wire sticks they were very easy to slide into place and secure with one of the new tied on pine pieces from the garland. Since I could not find my extra bouquet wire I pulled the ugly berries off of one of the left over sticks and used it to secure the door knob hanging star to the top. Last were the reindeer. I wont lie I wanted to get this posted so badly that they are not secured into place yet. I'll have to hot glue them I think.



Not too bad and all I spent was $7.00!

Gingerbread houses for CHEAP!

I'm not sure if this is a deal or crafty, I think it's both!

Target currently has it's Halloween things on 90% clearance! (I'm a clearance shop-a-holic I know). I found among the items a haunted house gingerbread kit. I think it was Wiltons (it's already in storage so I'm not sure). It is exactly like the Christmas Gingerbread house kit except it has Halloween sugars and candies. I paid $1.00 for it and it has 5 houses in the kit. ONE DOLLAR! So of course I bought 2 of them and finding candies for decorating is not that big of a deal. You can even make your own icing to put the houses together too. So run out to your local Target and see if they have any left, at Christmas the same kit will cost you anywhere from $10 - $20.

Bella, Tim and I worked on the houses last year together for Christmas and it was a lot of fun. I love finding fun family things to do, which reminds me, I'll be posting some new fun crafty things VERY SOON!